Megaproject

Highway News

Special Feature – National Pothole Day: Rsta Calls For Local Authorities To Review Highway Maintenance StrategiesOn National Pothole Day 2025 the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) is making a ‘call for action’ for local highway authorities to review their maintenance strategies, and to improve their knowledge and understanding of surface treatments, including awareness of the appropriate times to use them based on road condition, to prevent future formation of potholes. The RSTA has promoted the adoption of preventative maintenance strategies in line with ‘sustainable asset management’ (quoted recently in the DfT local authority funding announcement), supported by timely interventions using preservation/rejuvenation, surface dressing or micro surfacing (including CAUTS for 250> cv/d). These treatments seal the road, to prevent the damaging effects of water ingress, that accelerates the rate of deterioration, resulting in unpredictable and expensive (potholes and eventually making the road unserviceable. A preventive maintenance strategy offers a significant carbon saving, especially when compared through a whole lifecycle comparison over a 60/90 year period (timescale dependant on traffic volumes) of up to 76%, in which time, the road would remain in better condition. Similar cost savings over this same, longer term period could be up to 66%. There has been much discussion about the additional £billions of extra funding required, but a revised maintenance strategy with a balance of early life preventative maintenance with that of end of life replacement, will make better use of available highway maintenance funding. The RSTA seeks to promote permanent solutions to potholes, either through permanent patching, instead of focussing on intervention only defects with poor quality repairs. This include methods of spray injection, thermal, screed and conventional patching, but also correct installations around ironwork. Recent updates in technology will support programmes of capital planned patching work. The RSTA has a catalogue of case studies which can be shared with local authorities requiring a better understanding of these methods. But also for roads riddled with potholes caused potentially by poor drainage, failing untreated material, poor construction depths, to consider more permanent solutions such as asphalt resurfacing (consider options of geosynthetic layers to reduce the thickness of asphalt reinstated), or alternative recycling methods, which include both in situ and ex situ, which repurposes existing material to form a sound base, on which to lay a new surface. Mike Hansford, Chief Executive of the RSTA said “if we’re going to really improve this pothole situation, and at the same time impact on our carbon footprint to meet the Government’s net zero targets, a fundamental change has to be made in the industry, which should include use of these preventative treatments, combined with recycled asphalt products and/or geosynthetic layers.” Local highway authorities already adopting these preventative treatments and alternative materials/methods are reporting positive outcomes linked to management of road condition and public satisfaction. Roads Minister tests Pothole Pro Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, marked National Pothole Day with a visit to the JCB Factory outside Derby, to see cutting-edge technology helping councils tackle potholes. Derbyshire, highlighted by the RAC as the worst area in England for potholes, is set to benefit from a share of the government’s record £1.6 billion investment to resurface across England. This includes an additional £20 million for the East Midlands County Combined Authority, which includes Derbyshire, as part of a £1.6 billion funding for highway maintenance that will enable councils to fix up to 7 million more potholes. At the J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited (JCB) power systems factory, the Roads Minister will speak to engineers to learn about the latest innovations being used to tackle the pothole plague. She will operate JCB’s ‘pothole pro’, a machine that can fix a pothole in 8 minutes, with a cost of around £30. The ‘pothole pro’ is currently used by 20 local authorities. The minister will also meet with local leaders to discuss their plans for filling potholes to deliver safer, quicker and less costly journeys for all road users in Derbyshire. This is part of the government’s plans to work more closely with local authorities to ensure they have the powers to spend it where their communities need it most. As part of its Plan for Change, the government is committed to delivering safer, smoother journeys – reducing delays, saving drivers money and going above and beyond its manifesto pledge. RAC fourth-quarter pothole breakdowns up by a fifth Pothole-related breakdowns jumped by a fifth (17%) in the final three months of 2024 compared to the previous quarter, a sign of the ongoing poor condition of Britain’s roads, new breakdown data from the RAC’s Pothole Index shows. RAC patrols went to the rescue of 4,709 drivers from October to December for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels – the call-outs most likely to be caused by wear and tear from defective road surfaces. This was 669 more than the 4,040 recorded in the third quarter of 2024. In the same winter period, almost four-in-10 breakdowns (39%) the RAC attended were a result of punctured tyres, due to potholes along with other factors like nails and screws. This was the highest proportion of breakdowns caused by punctures in any quarter during 2024. Sub-zero temperatures, along with water from rain, melted snow and ice are normally the cause of potholes as water freezes and expands in cracks in the roads. Although there were fewer frost days and nearly a third (28%) less rainfall than average in the fourth quarter of 2024, the number of pothole breakdowns still rose. The number of pothole breakdowns could increase even more in 2025 following the recent severe weather conditions, which last week meant the RAC had one of its busiest periods for breakdowns in the five years since the COVID pandemic. Garage data analysed by the RAC shows that drivers can expect to pay an average of £460 if their car needs fixing after hitting a pothole, for anything more serious than a puncture. This is around 43% more than the average cost of pothole compensation claims paid out by councils to drivers in 2023 at £260 per claim, according to FOI data. RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “The poor condition of Britain’s roads is by far and away drivers’ top concern, yet despite the mild weather our figures show there was no relief from the problem in the final quarter of 2024 – with our patrols attending more pothole-related breakdowns compared to three months earlier. “In the aftermath of this month’s blast of snow and ice, we may see the unwelcome trend continue in 2025 as excess water freezes and expands in cracks on the roads. To prevent water-damaged roads in future, we urge local highways authorities to resurface those in the worst condition and surface dress other roads to stop them deteriorating further. “Hopefully the Government funding announced before Christmas will go some way towards literally filling in the cracks, giving road users smoother, safer surfaces. The £1.6bn allocated to pothole repairs is the biggest one-off road maintenance settlement councils in England have ever been given. What’s especially positive is it comes with guidance to use the money wisely by carrying out preventative maintenance, which we hope stops more potholes appearing in the future.” Asphalt Group MD calls for longevity Finally, Stephen Cooke, managing director of road repair specialist, Asphalt Group Ltd, has called for a focus on improving the condition of roads so that they last longer. “Whilst it is important to raise awareness of potholes and the risks they pose to road users we really need to get to a point where we aren’t talking about them anymore. “Decades of under investment in our roads and preventative maintenance have led us to where we are. But now is the time to change the narrative and start talking about roads that last. “At Asphalt Group we’re committed to investing in proven materials, systems and surface treatments that will make roads last much longer. Filling potholes just creates a vicious circle with the same hole often reappearing time and time again. It is time to make roads that last.” Pic: Ed Miller

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Jan 15, 2025

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